new approach to item levels

[bladum]

alienItemLevels:
  - [0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3] 
  - [0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3] 
  - [0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3]   
  - [0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4]
  - [0, 0, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5]
  - [0, 0, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5]   
  - [0, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5]
  - [0, 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6]
  - [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 7] 
  - [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7]   
  - [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7]

0 and 1 is the same level but 2 variants
2 and 3 is the same level but 2 variants
4 and 5 is the same level but 2 variants
6 and 7 is the same level but 2 variants

For example:

        itemSets:
          -
            - STR_PLASMA_PISTOL
            - STR_PLASMA_PISTOL_CLIP
            - STR_PLASMA_PISTOL_CLIP
          -
            - STR_PLASMA_PISTOL
            - STR_PLASMA_PISTOL_CLIP
            - STR_ALIEN_GRENADE   
          - 
            - STR_PLASMA_RIFLE
            - STR_PLASMA_RIFLE_CLIP
            - STR_PLASMA_RIFLE_CLIP
          - 
            - STR_PLASMA_RIFLE
            - STR_PLASMA_RIFLE_CLIP
            - STR_ALIEN_GRENADE 
          - 
            - STR_HEAVY_PLASMA
            - STR_HEAVY_PLASMA_CLIP   
            - STR_HEAVY_PLASMA_CLIP
          - 
            - STR_HEAVY_PLASMA
            - STR_HEAVY_PLASMA_CLIP   
            - STR_ALIEN_GRENADE   
          - 
            - STR_PLASMA_MINIGUN
            - STR_PLASMA_MINIGUN_CLIP
            - STR_PLASMA_MINIGUN_CLIP     
          - 
            - STR_PLASMA_SNIPER_RIFLE
            - STR_PLASMA_SNIPER_RIFLE_CLIP
            - STR_PLASMA_SNIPER_RIFLE_CLIP 

[Warboy1982]

what about it?
are you asking if it's possible?
it is, and it won't cause any issues, as long as you have 8 sets defined for each deployment

[bladum]

sorry, i did not post full question

Is it possible to make this array dynamic in size not just const size of 10 ?

[volutar]

Is it possible to make this array dynamic in size not just const size of 10 ?

You can freely add more MONTHS to that structure (each row means month).

But as for number of values in each month - it's limited with 10.

Code: [Select]

int itemLevel = _game->getRuleset()->getAlienItemLevels().at(month).at(RNG::generate(0,9));Each value represents 10% of probability chart. There wasn't need to make it other way.

Though we could make that:

Code: [Select]

alienItemLevels:
  - [0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 2]
  - [0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2]
  - [0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2]
  - [0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2]
  - [0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2]
  - [0, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2]
  - [1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2]
  - [1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2]
  - [1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2]
  - [2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2]looks slightly shorter and more flexible:

Code: [Select]

alienItemLevels:
  - [70, 20, 10]
  - [50, 30, 20]
  - [30, 40, 30]
  - [20, 40, 40]
  - [20, 30, 50]
  - [10, 30, 60]
  - [0, 30, 70]
  - [0, 30, 70]
  - [0, 20, 80]
  - [0, 0, 100]Working the similar way as for race probability.

And I don't think it would be too hard to add fallback logic, if number of sets is less than number of levels (fallback to maximum available set).

But there was no point of doing that. Making game as moddable as hell is the 51th priority task.

[bladum]

Thanks for replay.

I know the source code limitation. But that was not the point to make mods. You can make game more varied even in vanilla without need to add new weapons. Just create a 5 versions of tier 1 weapons for aliens. Its impossible to make this in current implementation.

plasma_pistol
plasma_pistol + clip
plasma_pistol + clip + clip
plasma_pistol + grenade + grenade
plasma_pistol + grenade + clip

PS: can we move this to suggestions

Tom

[volutar]

Oh you totally can make 3 versions for each level. so there will be need of 9 sets.
and array will look like
0,1,2,0,1,2,0,1,2,0
0,1,2,0,1,2,0,3,4,5
0,1,2,0,3,4,5,3,4,5
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,6,7
3,4,5,6,7,8,6,7,8,6
6,7,8,6,7,8,6,7,8,6

0,1,2 - tier 0
3,4,5 - tier 1
5,6,7 - tier 2

[bladum]

great, but you loose low level tiers at the end and this is because there are just 10 items in the array.

Even with 3 tiers and 3 variations for each there is no room left to make aliens progression during the game.

[robin]

You can freely add more MONTHS to that structure (each row means month).

Is it possible to add more months to "alienMissions" as well?
(I mean this part:)

Code: [Select]

    raceWeights:
      0:
          STR_
      1:
          STR_
      3:
          STR_
      5:
          STR_
      7:
          STR_

[Arthanor]

great, but you loose low level tiers at the end and this is because there are just 10 items in the array.

Even with 3 tiers and 3 variations for each there is no room left to make aliens progression during the game.

You can comfortable fit 3 variations of 3 levels in 10 subsets. And you still have one free. The last row of the example is to show how the "late game, all tier 3" itemLevels would look like. If you don't want them, you don't have to use them.

10% chance of occurring is already pretty small. If something has less than 10% chance of happening (say 5% if you could use 20 numbers), is it even worth using it? It would be easy to only keep one of the variants of a tier at the end (say pistol + 2x grenades), so you can have a chance of a weak alien but it's small. Smaller, actually, than having all 3 variants in a 20 numbers system (= 15% chance of a weak alien).

Btw, are items levels assigned on a per alien basis? Or per crew? a 10% chance of having a pistol alien in the end game is fine. a 10% chance of all aliens in a given crew having pistols? That'd be weird (and unfair to the aliens..)

[Falko]

great, but you loose low level tiers at the end and this is because there are just 10 items in the array.

- [0, 3, ....]
- [1, 3, ....]
- [2, 3, ....]
- [0, 4, ....]
- [1, 4, ....]
- [2, 4, ....]
- [0, 5, ....]
- [1, 5, ....]
- [2, 5, ....]
.....
copy paste some variation of this 500 times and you have lowlevel variation for all the game years

[bladum]

that would be great idea, to actually split variety over dozen of months.

[Solarius Scorch]

Is it possible to add more months to "alienMissions" as well?
(I mean this part:)

Code: [Select]

    raceWeights:
      0:
          STR_
      1:
          STR_
      3:
          STR_
      5:
          STR_
      7:
          STR_

Yeah, I did this in the FMP and it works just fine. Or at least it doesn't crash the game, I haven't done enough testing...

Btw, are items levels assigned on a per alien basis? Or per crew? a 10% chance of having a pistol alien in the end game is fine. a 10% chance of all aliens in a given crew having pistols? That'd be weird (and unfair to the aliens..)

Alien levels are per rank. In a given mission you define equipment options for all Soldiers, then for all Navigators, and so on. So each member of a rank has the same range of gear to choose from, but of course two Soldiers can have different gear from this range.

[Arthanor]

Alien levels are per rank. In a given mission you define equipment options for all Soldiers, then for all Navigators, and so on. So each member of a rank has the same range of gear to choose from, but of course two Soldiers can have different gear from this range.

I know the item selection is per rank, but what I was wondering is who gets the "item level". I guess what you're saying is that each alien rolls individually for his own item level? So poor alien soldier A can get stuck with a plasma pistol by getting a 1, while alien soldier B got his heavy plasma by rolling a 10.

That's good. I was afraid item levels were on a mission/rank/crew basis, which means a bunch of aliens could be stuck with the same level of gear instead of it being random.

[Solarius Scorch]

I know the item selection is per rank, but what I was wondering is who gets the "item level". I guess what you're saying is that each alien rolls individually for his own item level? So poor alien soldier A can get stuck with a plasma pistol by getting a 1, while alien soldier B got his heavy plasma by rolling a 10.

Yes, precisely. If you make the table vary a lot for a given mission/rank/month, that is.

That's good. I was afraid item levels were on a mission/rank/crew basis, which means a bunch of aliens could be stuck with the same level of gear instead of it being random.

No, while each mission has its own set for each rank, the same rank in the same mission does not have to have the same weapon.

[bladum]

Btw

Wouldn't be nice to have option to set default items per rank ?

Imagine 10 ufos with every rank defined like below... even in vanilla this is really big chunk of text

Code: [Select]

 
- type: STR_UFO_SCOUT # max 1-2 alien
    width: 40
    length: 40
    height: 4
    data:
      - alienRank: 4
        lowQty: 1
        highQty: 2
        dQty: 0
        percentageOutsideUfo: 30
        itemSets:
          -
            - STR_PLASMA_PISTOL
            - STR_PLASMA_PISTOL_CLIP
            - STR_PLASMA_PISTOL_CLIP 
          -
            - STR_PLASMA_PISTOL
            - STR_PLASMA_PISTOL_CLIP
            - STR_ALIEN_GRENADE     
            - STR_MIND_PROBE
          - 
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN   
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP   
          - 
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP
            - STR_ALIEN_GRENADE         
            - STR_MIND_PROBE     
          - 
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN         
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP     
          - 
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN         
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP
            - STR_ALIEN_GRENADE   
            - STR_MIND_PROBE     
          - 
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN         
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP   
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP     
          - 
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN         
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP   
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP
            - STR_ALIEN_MINE     
            - STR_MIND_PROBE   

I can imagine that new feature could be added to have

Code: [Select]

- type: STR_UFO_SCOUT # max 1-2 alien
    width: 40
    length: 40
    height: 4
    data:
      - alienRank: 4
        lowQty: 1
        highQty: 2
        dQty: 0
        percentageOutsideUfo: 30
        itemDefaultSets: STR_NAVIGATOR_ITEM_SET
        #   itemSets: if not defined itemDefaultSet please use this as normal


And then

Code: [Select]

itemDefaultSets:
       - STR_NAVIGATOR_ITEM_SET:
          -
            - STR_PLASMA_PISTOL
            - STR_PLASMA_PISTOL_CLIP
            - STR_PLASMA_PISTOL_CLIP 
          -
            - STR_PLASMA_PISTOL
            - STR_PLASMA_PISTOL_CLIP
            - STR_ALIEN_GRENADE     
            - STR_MIND_PROBE
          - 
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN   
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP   
          - 
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP
            - STR_ALIEN_GRENADE         
            - STR_MIND_PROBE     
          - 
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN         
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP     
          - 
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN         
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP
            - STR_ALIEN_GRENADE   
            - STR_MIND_PROBE     
          - 
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN         
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP   
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP     
          - 
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN         
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP   
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP
            - STR_PLASMA_SHOTGUN_CLIP
            - STR_ALIEN_MINE     
            - STR_MIND_PROBE